Is BMW Poised to Enter Formula E?

Recent comments by the German Manufacturer have sparked speculation about their future role in Formula E – will they announce their involvement?

Like it’s American counterpart – Ford – BMW has recently issued a definitive statement regarding its involvement in Formula 1:

“We wanted to put some of the F1 resources into the research and development of alternative powertrain solutions – and so BMW did. We established ourselves as the leading premium car manufacturer in the field of electric mobility. We are watching the developments in the world of motorsport, but currently we have no plans to re-enter Formula 1.” – BMW

So, it looks like we won’t be seeing their return to the world-famous Motorsport any time soon. However, there’s something within that statement that caught my eye. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

“We established ourselves as the leading premium car manufacturer in the field of electric mobility.” – BMW

The above emphasis is mine, but with good reason. BMW are already involved in Formula E with the Andretti team, but could a fully-fledged factory team be on the horizon? We’ve known for quite some time now that manufacturers don’t participate in grand prix just for the sake of dick waving their brand over another. Although, let’s be honest, that is a perfectly viable reason. Most manufacturer’s use premier class Motorsports like F1 as a prestige generator and a testbed for prototyping and testing tech that will eventually make it into consumer-grade road vehicles they can take to market.

Now, with that statement regarding how they’ve established themselves as the leading manufacturer in the field of electricmobility, I’d be damned if that doesn’t hint at a more immersive future involvement in Formula E, beyond assisting a pre-existing team.

Formula E is still only three years young in terms of being a Motorsport – and it’s still got a lot left to prove if it’s going to become a mainstay out on the circuit. The more that big-name manufactures get involved (like BMW), the better.

Again, this is only speculation and should be taken with a boulder of salt, but there could be a very real chance that we’ll be seeing some big headers announce their increased involvement in the future.

Nikola is a carbon-based life-form residing on Earth dimension C-137. Lover of all things fast and furious. When he's not tapping away at a keyboard, he can be found aimlessly drifting in cyberspace, looking for signs of intelligent life.